Refrigerator and shelf for the same

ABSTRACT

A support element connecting a plate with a side frame is provided at a shelf according to the present invention, so that the side frame is prevented from being deformed or damaged by the lateral load applied to the side frame while detaching or attaching the shelf.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

This document relates to a refrigerator and a shelf for the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a refrigerator is a home appliance for cooling or freezingfood to preserve the food.

Particularly, a refrigerating cycle is installed in the refrigerator,and thus the freshness of the food stored in the refrigerator ispreserved by cold air resulting from an operation of the refrigeratingcycle. And, a plurality of shelf elements for placing the food areinstalled in the refrigerator and arranged in a vertical direction, anda plurality of storage boxes are provided therein.

SUMMARY

A refrigerator according to the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention includes a body in which a food storage space is provided; aplurality of shelves having a plate detachably provided on a wallsurface of the storage space to receive the food, a side frame connectedto both side ends of the plate, and an engagement portion protrudingfrom a rear end of the side frame; an installation guide provided at aninner wall surface of the storage space and provided with aninstallation port for inserting the engagement portion; and a supportelement simultaneously contacted with the plate and the side frame andsupporting the side frame.

Also, a shelf for a refrigerator according to the preferred embodimentof the present invention includes a plate on which food is placed; aside frame for supporting the plate; an engagement portion protrudingfrom a rear end of the side frame; and a support element provided at anedge, where the plate and the side frame are contacted, to prevent theside frame from deforming laterally.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an inner construction of a bottomfreezer-type refrigerator where a shelf for a refrigerator according tothe preferred embodiment of the present invention is employed.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a construction of a shelffor a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a construction of a shelffor a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a construction of a shelffor a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is a state view showing that a lateral load is applied to theshelf for the refrigerator according to the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, a shelf for a refrigerator and a refrigerator having theshelf according to the preferred embodiments of the present inventionwill be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The construction proposed in the present invention is applicable to anytype of refrigerator where a food storage space is provided.Hereinafter, a bottom freezer type refrigerator, in which arefrigerating chamber is disposed above a freezing chamber, will bedescribed as an example.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an inner construction of a bottomfreezer-type refrigerator, where a shelf for a refrigerator according tothe preferred embodiment of the present invention is employed.

Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerating chamber 120 and a freezing chamber140 are provided in a body 110 of a refrigerator 100 according to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, respectively. And, in thebottom freezer-type refrigerator, the refrigerating chamber 120 isdisposed above the freezing chamber 140.

Particularly, front surfaces of the refrigerating chamber 120 and thefreezing chamber 140 are respectively opened, and the opened frontsurfaces are selectively closed by a door 200. The door 200 includes arefrigerating chamber door 220 for opening/closing the refrigeratingchamber 120 and a freezing chamber door 240 for opening/closing thefreezing chamber 140.

More particularly, the refrigerating chamber door 220 is respectivelyprovided at both sides of the front surface of the body 110, and oneedge thereof is pivotably mounted onto the body. And, the freezingchamber door 240 is installed at a front surface of a basket 242 slidingin and out of the freezing chamber, so that the basket 242 and thefreezing chamber door 240 are slid in and out of the freezing chamber ina back-and-forth direction.

Meanwhile, a plurality of storage boxes may be provided at a rearsurface of the refrigerating chamber door 220, and drawers 160 andshelves 300 of various sizes may also be provided in the refrigeratingchamber 120.

Particularly, both side ends of the plurality of drawers 160 and shelves300 may be formed in a size to connect with a left side surface and aright side surface of the refrigerating chamber 120, or the plurality ofdrawers 160 and shelves 300 may divide the inner space of therefrigerating chamber 120 as they are formed in a size that is smallerthan the width of the inner space of the refrigerating chamber 120.

The drawer 160 defines a separate space in the refrigerating chamber120, and allows food stuffs having various storage properties to bestored at an appropriate temperature. And, the shelf 300 is movablyinstalled in the refrigerating chamber 120, so that food stuffs ofvarious sizes can be stored therein. And, an installation guide 180 forsupporting the shelf 300 is provided on a rear wall surface in therefrigerating chamber 120. Particularly, the installation guide 180 islongitudinally formed in a vertical direction, and a plurality ofinstallation ports 182 are perforated and formed in a front surface ofthe installation guide at predetermined intervals. And, the installationguide 180 may be provided at an interval corresponding to the width of arear end of the shelf 300. For example, if three installation guides 180are provided at both side edges and a central portion of therefrigerating chamber 120, the refrigerating chamber 120 is divided intotwo parts, which are left and right parts, by the shelf 300. And, theshelf 300 installed at the left region from the center of therefrigerating chamber 120 may have the height, which is equal to ordifferent from that of the shelf 300 installed at the right region.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of a construction of a shelffor a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the shelf 300 according to the first embodiment ofthe present invention includes a plate 320 on which food or a vessel isplaced, and a side frame 340 provided at both side ends of the plate320.

The plate 320 defining an overall external shape of the shelf 300 isformed in the shape of a rectangular plate, and it forms a surface onwhich food or a vessel having food stuffs is placed. Particularly, theplate 320 is composed of a plate body 322 of an approximate rectangularplate shape, and an edge frame 324 surrounding the plate body 322.

The plate body 322 may be made of a tempered glass or a transparentplastic material, and the edge frame 324 may be made of a plastic or asynthetic resin material. And, the edge frame 324 is formed along aperiphery of the plate body 322, so that it serves to protect the platebody 322 from the outer impact. And, the side frame 340 is connected toa bottom.

More particularly, a close-contact rib 326, which is formed of anelastic material such as a rubber and is more inclined as it is extendedtoward the rear, is extended at a rear end of the edge frame 324. Theclose-contact rib 326 is tightly contacted with the inner side rear wallsurface of the refrigerator body 100, so that a gap between therefrigerating chamber 120 and the shelf 300 is not formed.

Meanwhile, the side frame 340 is connected to both side ends of theplate 320. Particularly, the side frame 340 is installed in therectangular direction to the plate 320, and is formed to have the lengthcorresponding to the length between the rear end and front end of theplate 320. And, the side frame 340 transmits the food load applied tothe plate 320 to the installation guide 180 when the food is seated onthe plate 320. In addition, it serves to prevent the plate 320 frombending or leaning forward when the food weight is exerted on the plate320.

Further, the rear end width of the side frame 340 is formed to begreater than the front end width, so that the side frame 340 withstandsthe moment applied to the plate 320.

Meanwhile, a top of the side frame 340 is tightly contacted to left andright side ends of the plate 320, particularly a bottom of the edgeframe 324. And, it may be integrally fixed to the plate 320 by afastening element 500 such as a screw.

Further, an engagement portion 342 is protruded from the rear end of theside frame 340.

Particularly, the engagement portions 342 are respectively formed atupper and lower portions of the rear end of the side frame 340. Theengagement portion 342 formed at the lower end is extended toward therear, and the engagement portion 342 formed at the upper end isdownwardly bent and extended. Since the engagement portion 342 formed atthe upper end is downwardly bent and extended, the side frame is notcome out of the installation port 182 even when the downward moment isapplied to the plate 320. And, since the engagement portion formed atthe lower end is extended toward the rear, it is possible to withstandthe moment applied to the plate 320.

The engagement portion 342 is inserted in the installation port 182 ofthe installation guide 180 and is engaged therein, the shelf 300 maymaintain the installation state as a cantilever structure by means ofthis.

Further, the height of the shelf 300 is determined by a position of theinstallation port 182 in which the engagement portion 342 is inserted.That is, the height of the shelf 300 can be adjusted by changing theposition of the installation port 182 in which the engagement portion342 is inserted.

Meanwhile, a support element 400 is formed at the rear portion on theinner side surface of the side frame 340. The support element 400 may beprovided at the edge where the rear surface of the side frame 340 andthe rear surface of the plate 320 are met. Particularly, the supportelement 400 is provided on the inner side surface of the side frame 340in the direction intersecting with the side frame 340, so that it servesto support the lateral load applied to the side frame 340. In otherwords, in order to adjust the height of the shelf 300, the user holdsboth side surfaces of the shelf 300 while separating the shelf 300 fromthe installation guide 180. And, the lateral load may be applied to theside frame 340 by the user while the shelf 300 is separated and upwardlyor downwardly moved. Here, the support element 400 prevents the sideframe 340 from bending or separating from the plate 320 due to thelateral load applied to the side frame 340.

The support element 400 may be formed as an approximate rectangularplate shape having a predetermined thickness, and it may be laterallyextended at the inner surface upper portion of the side frame 340 sothat the top of the support element 400 is able to contact with thelower surface of the plate 320.

By means of this configuration, the support element 400 isline-contacted with the inner side surface of the side frame 340 and thelower surface of the plate 320. Therefore, even when the lateral load isapplied to the side frame 340, the original shape of the side frame 340may be maintained as it is supported by the top of the support element400 contacting with the lower surface of the plate 320.

Meanwhile, the support element 400 may be formed in the shape of aright-angled triangle where the right-angled portion is contacted withthe side frame 340 and the plate 320 or of a rectangular parallelepipedhaving a predetermined thickness as well as of a rectangular plate. Thatis, any kind of shape, which can be closely contacted to the edge of theside frame 340 and the plate 320 simultaneously, may be used. Inaddition, a plurality of support elements 400 may be formed on the innerside of the side frame 340 as necessary. That is, the plurality ofsupport elements 400 may be arranged at specific intervals in aback-and-forth direction.

Also, the support element 400 may be integrally extended from the innerside surface of the side frame 340, and a separate plate-shaped elementmay also be connected to the side frame 340 and the plate 320 by anadhesion element.

Various embodiments, other than the first embodiment, of the shelf forthe refrigerator according to the present invention are possible, andthey will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.Hereinafter, the overall construction of the shelf 300 to be describedis the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the detaileddescription will be omitted and the same reference numerals will beused.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded perspective view of a construction of a shelffor a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the support element 400 is downwardly extended andformed at the rear end of the plate 320.

Particularly, the support element 420 is extended to the lower surfaceedge portion surrounding the rear end periphery of the plate 320. And,one side end of the support element 420 is line-contacted to the rearend of the inner side surface of the side frame 340.

In other words, the support element 420 is disposed at the edge wherethe rear end of the side frame 340 and the rear end of the plate 320 aremet, and it is line-contacted to the inner side surface of the sideframe 340 and the lower surface of the plate 320, respectively.Therefore, it can be supported by the support element 420 even when thelateral load is applied to the side frame 340.

Meanwhile, as described in the first embodiment, the support element 420is not restricted to the rectangular plate shape and it may be any shapewhich is tightly contacted to the edge where the side frame 340 and theplate 320 are met, and a plurality of support elements may be providedas necessary.

Also, the support element 420 is provided as a separate element and isformed in the shape of

so that it is surface-contacted with any one of the plate 320 and theside frame 340 and is line-contacted with the other.

Particularly, it is possible that the support element 420 is bent in theshape of

at the edge, where the rear end and the side end of the plate 320 aremet, and is extended, and that the portion extended to the side end ofthe plate 320 is surface-contacted to the side frame 340.

Otherwise, it is possible that the support element 420 is bent in theshape of

wherein one surface is closely contacted to the lower surface and theother side surface is downwardly extended from the lower surface of theplate 320. And, one side end of the support element 420 may beline-contacted to the side frame 340.

Various embodiments, other than the first and second embodiments, of theshelf 300 for the refrigerator according to the present invention arepossible, and they will be explained in detail with reference to thedrawings. Hereinafter, the overall construction of the shelf 300 to bedescribed is similar to that of the first and second embodiments, andthus the detailed description will be omitted and the same referencenumerals will be used.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of a construction of a shelffor a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the support element 440 according to a thirdembodiment of the present invention is to support the lateral loadapplied to the side frame 340, and it is extended between the engagementportions 342 and is perpendicularly bent toward the center of the plate320.

Particularly, in order to contact the support element 440 extendedbetween the engagement portions 342 to the lower surface of the plate320, the engagement portion extended at the upper side of the rear endof the side frame 340 should be upwardly protruded, as shown in thedrawing. That is, the engagement portion extended at the upper side ofthe rear end of the side frame 340 is upwardly protruded along the tiltangle of the close-contact rib 326 provided at the rear end periphery ofthe plate 320. And then, as the upper surface of the side frame 340 isline-contacted to the lower surface of the edge frame 324, the uppersurface of the support element 440 can be also tightly contacted to thelower surface of the edge frame 324.

Hereinafter, an operation of the shelf for the refrigerator according tothe present invention with the above described configuration will bedescribed as follows with reference to the drawings.

The above described first, second and third embodiments have almost thesame operation since the overall construction is similar, and thereforethe operation will be described with reference to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows a state view that a lateral load is applied to the shelffor the refrigerator according to the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, first of all, the side frame 340 is connected tothe plate in order to assemble the shelf 300.

Here, the top of the side frame 340 is connected to the left and rightside ends of the plate 320 by means of the fastening element 500 such asa screw, so that the support element 400 formed on the inner sidesurface of the side frame 340 is contacted with the lower surface of theplate 320.

That is, the support element 400, which is extended in the directionintersecting with the side frame 340 and formed at the inner sidesurface of the side frame 340, is contacted with the lower surface ofthe plate 320 and is disposed at the edge, which is defined by the sideframe 340 and the plate 320. And, all of the inner side surface of theside frame 340 and lower surface of the plate 320 are line-contactedwith the support element 440.

Meanwhile, in order to install the shelf 300 having the side frame 340in the refrigerator, the engagement portion 342 is inserted into theinstallation port 182 of the installation guide 180. Here, theengagement portion extended at the upper part of the rear end of theside frame 340 is initially inserted into the installation port 182, andthen the engagement portion straightly extended at the lower part of therear end is inserted into the installation port 182. And, the innerspace of the refrigerating chamber 120 can be efficiently divided byappropriately changing the installation position of the shelf 300depending on the size of the food to be received.

Particularly, the user holds both side surfaces of the shelf 300 whileinstalling or separating the shelf 300. And, while doing so, the lateralload is applied to the side frame 340 due to the hold of the user. Inparticular, sometimes the user unintentionally exerts greater force onthe side frame while installing or separating the shelf 300.

If the lateral load is applied to the side frame 340, the torque or themoment, which inwardly deforms the side frame 340, is generated.Particularly, a greater torque is generated at the rear portion of theside frame, which has a relatively greater up-and-down width. Here,since the side frame 340 is stably supported by the support element 440,the side frame 340 can be prevented from deforming.

Also, the end of the support element 440, the inner side surface of theside frame 340 and the lower surface of the plate 320 are line-contactedto each other, and the deformation of the support element 440 due to thelateral load is almost impossible, because the characteristic of thesupport element 400 formed in the shape of a plate.

Therefore, the side frame 340 which is contacted with the supportelement is not deformed, so that the lateral load can be supported bythe support element 440.

Of course, it is apparent that the operation of the first embodiment isthe same as that of the second and third embodiments.

It is noted that the present invention is not limited to the preferredembodiment described above, and it is apparent that variations andmodifications by those skilled in the art can be effected within thespirit and scope of the present invention defined in the appendedclaims.

1. A refrigerator, comprising: a body in which a food storage space isprovided; a plurality of shelves having a plate detachably provided on awall surface of the storage space to receive the food, a side frameconnected to both side ends of the plate, and an engagement portionprotruding from a rear end of the side frame; an installation guideprovided at an inner wall surface of the storage space and provided withan installation port for inserting the engagement portion; and a supportelement contacted with the plate and the side frame simultaneously andreinforcing the intensity of the side frame.
 2. The refrigeratoraccording to claim 1, wherein the side frame is perpendicularlyconnected to the plate, and the support element is closely contacted toa lower surface of the plate and an inner side surface of the sideframe.
 3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the supportelement is line-contacted to any one or both of the inner side surfaceof the side frame and the plate.
 4. The refrigerator according to claim2, wherein the support element is disposed between the plate and theside frame as a separate element.
 5. The refrigerator according to claim2, wherein the support element is integrally extended from a lowersurface of the plate or a rear end of the side frame.
 6. Therefrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the support element isprovided at a rear end of the shelf.
 7. The refrigerator according toclaim 1, wherein a plurality of installation guides are installed on aninner wall surface of the storage space at predetermined intervals. 8.The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein at least 2 shelves arelaterally or vertically installed in the storage space.
 9. A shelf for arefrigerator, comprising: a plate on which food is placed; a side framefor supporting the plate; an engagement portion protruding from a rearend of the side frame; and a support element provided at an edge, wherethe plate and the side frame are contacted, to prevent the side framefrom deforming laterally.
 10. The shelf for the refrigerator accordingto claim 9, wherein the support element is provided as a separate part,and is closely contacted to the plate and the side frame by an adhesionelement.
 11. The shelf for the refrigerator according to claim 9,wherein the support element is extended from one side of the plate, sothat at least some of the support element is contacted to an inner sidesurface of the side frame.
 12. The shelf for the refrigerator accordingto claim 9, wherein the cross-section of the support element is bent inthe shape of

and a top is line-contacted to a lower surface of the plate as any onesurface is closely contacted to an inner side surface of the side frame.13. The shelf for the refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein thelongitudinal-section of the support element is bent in the shape of

and one side end is line-contacted to an inner side surface of the sideframe as one surface is closely contacted to a bottom surface of theplate.
 14. The shelf for the refrigerator according to claim 9, whereinthe support element is bent from a rear end of the side frame toward thecenter of the plate.
 15. The shelf for the refrigerator according toclaim 9, wherein the plate comprises a plated body formed of a temperedglass and an edge frame formed along a periphery of the plate body.